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Taliban to form a 12-member council to run Afghanistan: Sources
Sources close to the Taliban leadership told the American publication Foreign Policy that the group will form a 12-member council to run the country.
According to the report, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s political deputy; Mullah Mohammad Yaqub, the son of Mullah Mohammad Omar; and Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, a senior member of Haqqani network will be included in the council.
“Our elders are busy. Consultations about a political system are underway. When we conclude our consultations, we will be witness to the system,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman.
Hamid Karzai, Abdullah Abdullah and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar will also be members of this council, reports indicated.
“Mullah Barada can work with other partners to form a truly inclusive government,” said Sayed Hafizullah Naqi, a member of the leadership of Hezb -i- Islami.
According to the report, the Taliban are ready to give some members of the previous government some ministries as they want to form an inclusive government.
The Taliban, meanwhile, have said they will not form a government while the United States has a military presence in Afghanistan.
The Council of Shiite Ulema also reiterated the need for an inclusive government to be formed by the Taliban.
“Creating an Islamic system acceptable to all and forming an inclusive government is our desire,” said an Ulema member Sayed Hussain Alami Balkhi.
Afghanistan has been in a political and legal vacuum for ten days, with sources saying the Taliban will not announce the formation of a government until the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan is complete.
“A broad-based, comprehensive and inclusive Islamic system should be formed with the participation of all ethnic groups, brothers of Afghanistan,” said Mohammad Akbari, a member of the Shiite Council of Afghanistan.
In such a situation, one of the obstacles to forming an inclusive government with the Taliban is Ahmad Massoud’s opposition to the Taliban in Panjshir. Although political talks are ongoing to resolve the stalemate between the two sides, both sides have warned each other of the possibility of using the military option.
Two people have been killed amid protests against a poppy eradication campaign in northeastern Badakhshan province, local officials said.
Authorities said counter-narcotics forces were deployed on Friday to Atan Jalo area of Argo district to destroy poppy fields. Clashes erupted after a number of farmers and residents reportedly attempted to block the operation.
Officials said a child was killed during Friday’s unrest, while another person died on Saturday as protests and tensions continued in the area.
According to local authorities, demonstrators also temporarily blocked the Kishm–Faizabad highway, disrupting traffic for several hours before it was reopened following coordinated efforts by security officials, religious scholars, and community elders.
Officials blamed “drug traffickers and criminal groups” for inciting the unrest and said security forces have since regained control of the area.
A high-ranking Uzbek delegation comprising government officials and private sector representatives from the Republic of Karakalpakstan arrived in Kabul on Saturday to discuss the expansion of trade and economic cooperation with Afghanistan.
The delegation is headed by Amanbay Orinbayev, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Karakalpakstan.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the delegation is expected to hold talks with Nooruddin Azizi, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, focusing on strengthening bilateral trade and economic relations.
The ministry said the visiting delegation will also participate in trade connectivity meetings and business-to-business sessions aimed at enhancing commercial cooperation between the two sides.
As part of the visit, the Uzbek delegation is also scheduled to travel to Balkh province, where members will attend additional trade meetings and inaugurate an exhibition showcasing Uzbekistan’s domestic products.
Hamid Karzai, former president of Afghanistan, has expressed concern over recent developments along the Durand Line, saying Pakistan has increased military and economic pressure on villages and residents living near the line.
In a statement, Karzai said the apparent purpose of these pressures is to push residents of Durand Line areas to seek help from Pakistani institutions for resolving security and other local issues.
He added that, amid this situation, some tribal elders from both sides of the Durand Line recently signed documents described as “peace agreements,” which were later officially welcomed by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Karzai, these developments amount to an effort by Pakistan to legitimize the Durand Line and represent an action against Afghanistan’s national sovereignty.
The former Afghan president also urged the relevant Afghan authorities to provide the public with a clear explanation regarding the recent agreements and developments along the Durand Line.
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